Lets see some restored front suspension.

I'm just curious to see how everyone restored there suspension.

 

Here's mine from a year or so ago. Stock control arms with polygraphite bushings all around. Edelbrock IAS shocks, TransAm sway bars and the obvious brake upgrades.

 

Here is mine not 100% concourse correct. :beer

 

I'm installing the 13" Baer brakes, 2" drop spindles, and modifying the stock control arms for my air suspension to lay the car on the ground.

I have everything infront of the windshield off right now, I'll get pics soon when I have it back together. :laugh:

 

I like the big brakes but decided to stay stock with my ragtop for now. Its a good starting point and once I do a few shows then might upgrade.

Not 100% (as I'm sure the nitpickers will point out :Brow: ) but its fairly authentic and looks good to boot. Aftermarket shafts and bushings (mine were trashed), rotor beadlblasted, painted with brake caliper paint, then cut. Calipers rebuilt (to save orig casting #'s) and painted with different caliper paint to get variation in color. New pads, new caliper bolts (and all seals and bushings) new lugnuts, new bearings, new cap. Backing plate plated silver zinc, caliper mount plated gold zinc (nobody does cad anymore). New bleed screw, new hose and bolt. Arms painted, new springs, frame powdercoated.

 

Another pic. Spindles cast iron gray, spindle bolts replated. You can see the aftermarket shafts better in this pic (get over it people!!LOL). Markings were put on only as found. I also replaced all the ball joints of course, and used torque seal on the nuts to keep track of things. Also bought new nuts to replace the crappy ones that came with the joints. Idler arm is as purchased, new bolts and nuts.

I used rubber thoughout car as have friends with poly, seems to be non stop issues (squeaks or rides too rough or whatever). Also, being a convertible I really have no idea how it will react to suspension changes....this car will be a cruiser and again, can always change stuff later.

Like I said authentic but not 100%. Not worth time and effort to get 100% correct (NOS etc) if you are going to drive car on regualr basis.Besides everyone feels good when they can find something wrong with a car so leave a few things for them to catch and they'll miss the ones you don't want them to see!!LOL

 

TimR: That looks great! and nobody's perfect. So pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

 

Like Tim, I'm going for close but I want to drive it.

I converted from drum to disk, and replaced all the wear parts with Moog. I also stayed with rubber because of concerns with squeaks the poly guys seem to be having. The steering box is rebuilt with the close ratio gears.

Ignore that light sheen of rust. All the rain we've had has played havoc with any uncoated parts.

 

This is the front of my '70 GS 455 conv. The frame is powdercoated, the control arms are done with Eastwood's Chassis Black. I'm converting it from drum to disk brakes with a kit from Master Power Brakes. Eibach Springs, Polygraphite bushings and KYB Shocks too.

Ken

 

Looks good guy's. Keep them coming.

 

Ditto :TU:

Does anyone know where to get the correct looking rivets for the upper ball joint?
I always thought it would be a neet idea if someone made a product that looked like a factory rivet but worked like a bolt and nut.

 

Adam-
Good idea...thanks for searching that out :beer

 

one of the 65 cat convert frame
Greg :3gears: :beer

 

How would you rate the kit overall?? Any issues or problems or...???

Looks good.

 

You'd still have nuts on the bottom side though so anyone looking that close would see that anyway (although it wuld be partly hidden by arms shape). Neat idea though....

 

It was a pretty complete kit. I will have to drill a few holes to mount the proportioning valve on the frame though. It came with brackets to mount it up on the master cylinder which I don't care for. It's not a "correct" kit for a restored car but I'm not real concerned with that, I just want the good reliable brakes. On my '70 Skylark I used a kit from Stainless Steel Brakes and it came with an adjustable proportioning valve that I had a hard time keeping from leaking. I wish I had used a Master Power kit on the '70 as well.

Ken

 

Is it the typical brass block prop valve in that kit? If so it would mount on the factory bracket and then no extra holes needed. Seems like almost all the places sell the same prop valve, it is a service replacement part.

 

It is just athe brass block type valve. I'll have to find the bracket and check that out, I'd rather not drill any holes.